Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-30
REAGAN TO DAVIS.
The Sage of Palestine Repiies 10 the
Sage OF 8esuv9ir-ln the
Belief that He
Gan indicate Ets Own Position Wftho
Offense TO Mr.. Davis, Senator Reagan
Writes an Open Letter.
Houston Post.

received your private notS duVlSlD8 me
that you had written an open letter to the
Houston Post in reply to my letter,
which wss written in answer TO yours TO
Governor Lubbock, ard on yesterday
received the Post containing your letter.
Il is now nearly Two months since the
prohibition CANVASS in Texas was closed
bv an election in which that measure was
defeated by a msiority so large (92,000I
as 10 put that question al rest IL this
state, in the form ii which It YVES sub
mitted, for long time 1T lesst. My let
Ter to which you reply was written on
July % last. ] regret that the criticisms
Of others, for which | am in no sense
r. sponslble, have caused you to renew S
& rrcspoudence on an issue 81 this time
dead in Texas, and that you have made
your letter, in some parts OF it, personal
and offensive.
Between my respect and reverence for
you and my duty TO myself l have seri
Ously doubted whether i were better to
submit to misconceplion ana aliow your
letter 10 20 Unanswered, or to make j
brief statement on some Of the points
YOU raise. l adopt the latter slteTDa-
llfL III LAG UelIt1 ilal CAL kIIAlCEtS III Z
OWE position without offense 10 you.
IN the opening Of your letter, in speak
ing Of mine, you say you did not ami do
Lot s5e why criticism Of my opponents
should be addressed TO you. This re
mark surprised me, as l knew | had
written briefly su intended reply to your
letter 10 Governor Lubbock, and had 81
the time no thought of replying to others
ia the letter; and IshHVG looked over mY
letter again to gee WHIT there wGs in il
which should have caused you 20 think |
WAS replying 70 others IN letter TO you,
and can see nothing which jQstitl9s your
statement. But your letter VI September
20 shows up9E its face that it was in
spired by and is 3 reply to the criticisms
q others more than t. me.
You refer 10 my eXpT essiug surprise
and sorrow because OF your former letter
and, alter mentioning thGt your poeltlcE
III tavor If strict construction CT tht
powers Of government was as 1t had for
merry been, YOU ask ''Whence arose tbs
sorr0w?" You have perhaps OverlGOBC.
the fact that [ answered your inquiry il
the letter vCu ware I0en criticIsing il
these words: "Fcom what have seer
snd heard / sm satisfied that tens O.
thousands If your trEesC and best friends
2-e gr.eved aud panied ny your letter
Aud, g I wrote you afterwards, Il | hs(
known YOU were orsny side Of mat ques
ton I would have protested against you
writing on ths subj CT. You know how
strongly the people of TrXAs sre attached
to yoU, ami when they are divided 4
their views en- o question like that | q,
not think it was an act of friendship t
..1u 10 ask you - take sides ha5wee
them. Notwithstanding your disclaimer
the people Of Texas DO feel that yoc
have claims uDou their confidence, SYM
PATTY snC respect. [ stated 20 you Il
my former letter that the prchibiu0
amendment would be voted for by MGR
than Ice GOO Democrats. l am now sal
istied that statement was true. An
these were the frieaGs your letter CAV
psin and sorrow TO, and this the cause C
my sorrow. Yau qUate . paragrspA fror
me Waco AdvslCe winch | think wa
both unjust aBG uofriend}7 10 you.
WIS IN no way responsible for that state
ment, and never saw i until il appesre
Ia your letter; and think you know n
feelings towards you well enough not I
have made it part of 81 arrsigument {
NE.
You refer to the fact tina. introduce
E Georgia negro who had been imporle
10 influence the voters OF his race, ST on
OF more public meetings, 50 the la5ia
and gentlemen CT Texas, as il it were
disreru;sble acs | did at public NEE
ing, and only g. one, IL nv town, st tn
rt0ues. Of others, when l WIS taxing n
dcIlye paIt in thu canvass, Introduce
negro speaker % an audience O. Whit
SHG black people a. respectable ES al
others of their classes elsewhere. An
thst negro delivered al address whiC
would. ior learning, eIOquence and PSI
C-isw, have done c;edit TO any wh}
speaker. And GOirg 50 ought not
bring upon ne roprOaCh from any on
and especially from one for whom
showed my readiness TO Isv down mY i
in the time II peril ald danger. You 7
fer 10 the fac, hat my letter h&s been r
lied ca, T0u thiuk not quite unfairly,
represent YfU - having advocated {
waiskT trGllic. In the letter you we
mmentiu@ On l qCated what YOU Sc
shout t1e .ntempgY-sa U-t Ct liQUC
being the "c0a. Of many disorders" Al
GGOGg GrGakor!s being "dsgT25edEcILu
nails" AND IL You wi.I look again a. L
letter you VIII dud tha, l said nOthi1
abou- your advocating the whisky tr2tli
act made no lntimation Of the kind.
You also quote ar interview with :
Of August %, 1851, ia which l express
opposition both to Drunkenness ana
legislation on merely moral and sum
tusry questions As reason Ehy shot
be lament in my objections TO the prom
TORY measure. | mske no complaint
cause Of the reference TO the fsct that I
position Is not now WHIST it appeared
De then believe l was the first one
call attention 10 this fact, II my let
OF April :, 1887, in answer to com II
lee composed of eX-Lieutensnt-GoyeEr
Gibbs and five other 9 ntlemen, IN VIII
they requested me TO attend
meeting st DSllas, Tex, where
vas intended to organize moveme
in opposition to prohibition. Amo
other things, after stating that other c
ties would prevent my engaging in
public discussion Of the question, So
'H had leisure to engage in this disc
sion, with Sn respect for the opinions
The meeting you represent, ! could
concur with the views expressed N u
letter. While b We heretofore felt CT
strained TO oppose prohibition because
friends sought to make 1t political is
and TO antsgoniz9 and overthrow
Democratic party, that resso1 does
Low exist; and I an no1 inclined,
speech or vote, to countersnce the e
lowing from the selling snd drinking
intoxicating liquors, as now pracuceoi
to give them the moral support OF pu'
opinion or the protection Of the st
government. In the same letter